


The Boys of Fall

by jsmp_415



Series: For Love of the Game [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, BOTH BOYS ARE SEVENTEEN, Child Abuse, Coming Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Football, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Racial Slur, M/M, Protective Rick Grimes, Rick's parents are awesome, Rickyl, Rutting, Smut, Underage Sex, Will Dixon is an ass, safe sex, so is Negan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 09:38:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19170625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jsmp_415/pseuds/jsmp_415
Summary: Rick Grimes, Shane Walsh, Glenn Rhee, and Daryl Dixon were all best friends. They were also all on the Alexandria High School football team. Rick was the quarterback and team captain, Shane played linebacker, Glenn was a receiver, and Daryl was the star running back of the team.This is the story of how, thanks to the game of football, Rick and Daryl navigate high school, falling in love, and the worst nightmare of an abusive parent.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was an impromptu story that I came up with after listening to Kenny Chesney's song "The Boys of Fall." I was trying to experiment with writing a shorter story than my usual novel length monstrosities, not sure if I totally succeeded with that. Please forgive all the cliches, cause there's a ton of them.  
> (P.S.-this is American football, just to avoid any confusion)
> 
> Trigger Warning: The child abuse that Daryl goes through is a main part of this story. There are several scenes that describe Daryl's wounds and one in particular that puts him in the hospital. The whole story however is from Rick's perspective, so the actual scenes of abuse are not described in a lot of specific detail. I also want to be clear that I DO NOT condone the way Rick and Daryl choose to handle the abuse situation but I felt like it was an important part of their relationship. There is also use of homophobic slurs, and a racial slur is mentioned but not explicitly said.

Rick Grimes, Shane Walsh, Glenn Rhee, and Daryl Dixon were all best friends. They were also all on the Alexandria High School football team. Rick was the quarterback and team captain, Shane played linebacker, Glenn was a receiver, and Daryl was the star running back of the team. Rick and Shane had been friends first, knowing each other literally since they were in diapers. Glenn showed up in the second grade with shy stutters and clumsy feet. Not that you could see that now; he was still a little shy, but the kid had the balance of a freaking ballerina. Daryl was last to join the group in the eighth grade, a transfer from another county with a chip on his shoulder who showed up for Junior high football tryouts just to piss off his old man. He was a natural. All broad shoulders, quick feet, legs with the strength to bowl over any linebacker who dared try to tackle him. He held onto the ball like it was sautered to his hands; in all the time he played, from the eighth grade to Senior year, he only ever fumbled it once. Rick was completely in awe of him, for more reasons than one.

Daryl was beautiful, easily the most good looking one of the four of them, in Rick’s opinion. But he kept his opinions to himself. He’d heard the rumors, mostly from the jealous B-teamers, like Negan and Gareth, or members of teams they’d wiped the floor with, like Woodbury. Not that Daryl helped himself much. Out of the four of them, Daryl had never dated, not once. Glenn had been with the head cheerleader, Maggie Greene, for two years now. Shane banged every girl on the dance line, majorette line, and cheerleading squad (except for Maggie) ever since he discovered his dick. Although, Lori Wayne seemed to be a constant repeater. Even Rick took Jessie Anderson on a few dates, just to prevent those rumors about him. And Daryl seemed to not give a fuck about what people said about him. Granted, most people were terrified to actually say anything to his face, but Rick knew he’d heard them and he knew he cared.

One night before Junior year started, after a grueling day at summer camp, Daryl and Rick were in the Grimes’ basement, playing video games, when out of the blue, Daryl brought it up.

“Hey, Rick?”

“Yeah man?” Rick answered absently as he sliced the head off a zombie with a red machete, his favorite virtual weapon.

“You, um….ever hear anything….about me?” It was the hesitant tone that got Rick’s attention. He looked away from the screen long enough for his guy to become zombie food. 

“Shit, sorry,” Daryl apologized.

“What do you mean?” Rick ignored his apology and Daryl wouldn’t meet his eyes. “C’mon, Dare, talk to me.”

“You ever hear anything….about me….not….liking girls?” He started chewing on his thumbnail, a nervous habit Rick was very familiar with by now. He also knew better than to bullshit his best friend.

“Yeah, man. I heard some talk. But you know I don’t care, one way or the other. Neither will Glenn or Shane.” Daryl nodded. “Why do you ask?” Rick couldn’t help his curiosity.

“Some of that talk got back to my dad,” 

Rick flinched. He couldn’t help it. Just the mention of Daryl’s dad could freeze the air in the middle of a Georgia summer. 

“What did he do?” Rick demanded to know, feeling that protective side barreling to the surface, the protective side that it seemed only Daryl could evoke. 

Daryl didn’t answer his question and Rick felt his heart pound. If it really wasn’t bad, Daryl would tell him, brush it off like it was nothing, because they both knew he’d had worse. It was the bad ones that would make Daryl clam up, cause he couldn’t lie to Rick. To the others he could and he did, but not to Rick.

“Daryl,” Rick insisted. His best friend seemed to fold in on himself before turning his back on him and pulling his shirt over his head by the collar. Daryl’s back was a canvas of black and purple bruises, wide lines that could only be his father’s belt. So many thoughts and emotions slammed into Rick; he wanted to curse to the heavens, he wanted to wrap Daryl in his arms and hide him forever, he wanted to go over to that damn trailer park and rip Will Dixon’s throat out with his teeth. But instead he swallowed back bile and forced his mouth to move.

“You wanna stay here tonight?” He asked softly.

Daryl nodded, “Thanks, Rick.” He pulled his shirt back on and settled back into the bean bag. It was only then that Rick realized why Daryl picked the softer surface over his favorite gaming chair Rick got the year before. “Don’t tell-”

“You know I won’t,” Rick cut him off. It was part of their deal and had been since freshman year, when Rick figured out what really went on in the Dixon house.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After Daryl joined the junior high team, Rick’s group enveloped him in their circle like he was always meant to be there, but he was still the quiet one. Reluctant to open up about himself, it took Rick nearly a year to figure out that Daryl’s mom had died when he was eight, that he had a brother who was in prison more than he was out, and that any mention of his dad made him sweat like a whore in church. But it didn’t take as long for Rick to realize that Daryl always waited until all the other boys on the team finished their showers and were halfway out of the locker rooms before he started his own. It was close to the end of the season in freshman year when Rick realized he’d left his backpack in the locker room and he had a ton of homework that night. He made his mom wait for him and he jogged back, opening the door to reveal the bare back of Daryl Dixon. Daryl was turned away from the door, leaning over the bench, gathering his clothes giving Rick the perfect view of fresh welts and cuts that covered him from neck to waist.

“Daryl! Holy shit!” Rick had exclaimed, causing his friend to nearly jump out of his skin. Daryl spun around, covering his chest with the clothes in his hands.

“What the fuck do you want, Rick?” He’d demanded, already on the defensive. Rick strode over to him, legs already strong, full of purpose. He’d grabbed Daryl’s shoulder in a vice like grip and forced him to turn around so he could look closer.

“Who did this to you?” Rick almost shouted it. 

“Keep your voice down,” Daryl pleaded.

“Who did this to you, Dare?” that was one of the first times Rick used the new nickname Shane had christened Daryl with earlier that year. He forced Daryl to look him in the eyes. “Was it your dad?” Daryl nodded once in reply. “Son of a bitch! You have to tell someone about this!”

“Rick, no!” Daryl’s eyes became terrified in a split second. Rick’s dad was the sheriff in King County, but Daryl had rarely seen the good side of the law. And Rick’s dad had already arrested his brother, Merle, once at that point.

“No, I’m not letting that bastard get away with this,” Rick started to walk away, with the sole intention of telling his father right that second, but Daryl grabbed his arm.

“Rick, please. Please listen to me. You can’t tell anyone. It won’t do no good,” between Daryl’s fierce blue eyes and the hand touching his arm, Rick felt like he was on fire. But he froze on the spot, giving Daryl a chance to plead with him. “If he finds out I told someone, he’d kill me before the cops could even get there. And on the off chance he didn’t, they’d just throw me in some foster home that’s just as bad. They’d take me away from Alexandria. Please Rick. They’d take everything away from me.” 

And Rick heard what Daryl wouldn’t say, _They’d take me away from the only friends I’ve ever had._ And just the thought of Daryl leaving was enough to make Rick question what he knew was the right thing.

“Daryl-” 

“Rick, please. Please don’t say anything to your dad.”

“One condition,” Rick held up a finger and he felt Daryl tense up. “You start staying with me on the weekends. And you come to my house any time he starts to get bad, I’ll sneak you in if I have to. And you tell me, no matter how bad it gets. Don’t lie to me about it, Daryl.”

Daryl hesitated for a second before his mouth quirked up in a half smile. “That’s like, three, maybe even four conditions, Rick.”

“You promise?”

He sighed but nodded. “I promise.”

Rick had convinced him to go home with him that night and soon Daryl became a de facto member of the Grimes family. He came over at least three times a week for dinner and was there almost every weekend. Rick’s parents even got a trundle to go under Rick’s bed, so Daryl could have a place to sleep on the weekends. But it really helped on the nights Daryl would sneak in to get away from his dad.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
In their Sophomore year, Rick had to wonder about his parents motives with that trundle when his dad kept him at the dinner table on a rare night that Daryl wasn’t there. 

“Where’s Daryl tonight?” Scott Grimes asked his son.

“Home,” Rick answered, “Merle got out yesterday.”

“He stays home more when Merle’s on the loose,” the sheriff observed and Rick froze.

“He and Merle have a good relationship,” Rick hedged. Truthfully, Merle always ran interference between his dad and little brother and Daryl followed him around like a loyal puppy whenever he was home.

“Is that the only reason he stays home more when his brother is?” Scott asked and Rick felt his heart pounding in his chest. He wondered where his father was going with this, wondered how much he knew or suspected. “Rick,” his father leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees, “is there anything going on at home with Daryl?”

“What do you mean, dad? You know we get tested on the team, Daryl isn’t his brother,” Rick shrugged trying to steer the questioning in a direction where he could answer truthfully.

“I know Daryl doesn’t do what Merle does,” Scott said seriously. “But if there was something else going on, like the way Daryl’s dad treats him when Merle isn’t there? You’d tell me, right?”

Rick wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. He didn’t want to lie to his dad, not about this, but he could hear Daryl’s voice in his head, his sweet voice and beautiful eyes pleading with Rick not a week ago. _Please, Rick, please. It’s not that bad, please don’t tell your dad._ So he steeled himself, looked his dad in the eye, and lied. 

“Yeah, dad. I’d tell you. But everything’s fine. His dad can be a jerk and he’s a horrible cook, but everything’s fine.”

Scott sighed, pursed his lips, and nodded. “Hmmok. But you’ll tell me, if that changes?”

“Yeah dad.”

And that had been the last time his dad had asked. But Rick did notice that he started helping Merle get out of his more minor indiscretions instead of arresting him for every little thing. Even still, Merle wasn’t always there, physically or mentally, to protect his brother.

The rest of Sophomore year passed in similar fashion. It was an easy routine for Rick to fall into: school, practice, weight lifting in the off season, dinner and homework with Daryl, making a show of Daryl going home, only for him to sneak back in the basement and creep up the stairs once Rick gave him the all clear that his parents were asleep. Sometimes they would whisper to each other before they fell asleep. Sometimes Rick would crawl into the trundle with Daryl and hold him to his chest while he cried quietly, the physical or emotional wounds of whatever his father had done that evening fresh and overwhelming. Sometimes they said nothing at all and fell asleep quickly, both boys exhausted from trying to deal with issues they weren’t really equipped to deal with yet, but trying nonetheless.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Junior year was when the rumors about Daryl’s sexuality really started to circulate, but other than that one night during summer practice, Daryl never brought it up again. At least, not verbally. But Rick knew on the nights when Daryl would sneak in, if Will Dixon had just been in a drunken rage, or if he’d heard another rumor about his son being gay. Daryl never made such an admission to Rick, but it seemed that his dad was determined to beat it out of him, whether it was true or not. 

It was about that time that Rick started to question his own sexuality. He was sixteen and still a virgin, but he wasn’t a complete idiot. He’d been on three dates with Jessie Anderson and none of them had gone any further than some reluctant hand holding during the movie, very near the end. After the third date he told her, vaguely but she got the idea, that he enjoyed her friendship and hoped they stayed friends for a long time. She still sat with them at lunch the next Monday and didn’t seem to harbor any bad feelings, so Rick breathed a sigh of relief. He thought about asking out someone else. Maybe some of the other girls in their grade, on the cheerleading squad, even some of those majorettes in the band, like Rosita who batted their eyelashes at any guy that blew their way. But the more he thought about it, the more he just grimaced at the idea. Those girls just didn’t do it for him. 

He laid in bed one morning, after Daryl had already snuck out, his hand wrapped around his morning wood, trying to get off to the idea of a girl. And it was just not working. He let go of his cock, frustrated about not being able to come, when his eyes landed on Daryl’s bed, still pulled out and messy. He thought about the night before, how Daryl had come in, eyes already full of tears at the verbal abuse his dad threw at him. Rick had slid off his bed and wrapped Daryl in his arms as the other boy cried softly into his neck. Rick had slid his hand up into Daryl’s hair, trying to comfort him, making soft shushing noises and rocking, just slightly, back and forth.

Rick didn’t realize when his hand wandered back to his cock, didn’t quite realize when the memory turned into a fantasy, but one minute he was thinking about comforting Daryl last night and the next, he was imagining Daryl lifting his head up from his neck and kissing him. He started to jack himself off in earnest as he thought about Daryl’s warm body against his, how his lips would feel against his own, what his tongue would taste like if he slid it into Rick’s mouth…..and Rick was coming like he never had before. His cock shot stream after stream of come on his stomach and he lay there gasping for breath, his hand stroking for all it was worth until the sensation became too much and he had to let go. He lay on his bed panting while the sun came up and his head spun, trying to make sense of how and why it was the thought of Daryl that finally made him come.

At school that day, Rick couldn’t keep his eyes off Daryl. He tried to be discreet, didn’t want any of his friends thinking something weird was going on but he knew sometimes he was downright staring. It was like those thoughts he had in the early hours of the morning had opened the floodgates and he was just in awe of Daryl; he felt like he’d never seen him before and was finally looking at him in floods of sunlight and with the world’s most powerful pair of glasses. Daryl was beautiful. Absolutely stunning. The way his lips would quirk up in his trademark half smile whenever Shane cracked a dirty joke. The way his hair was long enough to just fall into his bright blue eyes that missed nothing while they were at practice. He always thought Daryl was good looking but now….now he longed for him to be in his arms again, to hold him, to comfort him. To maybe….kiss him?  
But no, Rick frowned at that thought. Those rumors were just that: rumors. Even though Daryl never denied them, never took a girl out on a date, he never confirmed them either. And taking such a drastic step could completely ruin their friendship and Rick would never, could never lose Daryl as a friend. And it wouldn’t be fair to either of them for Rick to act on his feelings when he didn’t even understand them himself.

It just so happened that same week, there was an uptick in those rumors and the consequences of it forced Rick to confront those feelings and finally admit them out loud. But not to Daryl. Not at first.

The regular season was coming to a close and the Alexandria football team was almost guaranteed a spot in the playoffs that year. Practice had been a grueling one, Coach Ford pushing them harder, trying to motivate them to go a little longer, but most of the team was exhausted, heading for the locker room as soon as Coach let them go. But not Rick and Daryl. This was another routine the two of them had set up long ago; they would hang back together, under the pretense of going over a play, doing just one more rep, discussing the opposing team’s defense for just another minute. That way, by the time they made it to the locker room, most everyone had already showered and was getting ready to go, letting Daryl shower in peace and relative solitude. Only today, by the time they both made it to the locker room, it was to see Shane and Negan trying to beat each other to a pulp in between the lockers.

Rick and Daryl jumped into action, Daryl pulling Shane off Negan and Rick getting in front of his friend to keep him from jumping the other guy again.

“Shane,” Daryl yelled as he pulled him back, “calm down man!” He had his arms wrapped around Shane’s chest, trying to hold him back.

“What the fuck happened?” Rick yelled.

“Fucking asshole!” Shane yelled, trying to break free of Daryl’s grip.

“Ain’t an asshole if it’s true!” Negan shot back.

“Motherfucker!” Shane tried again and almost succeeded but Rick put a hand on his chest, pushing him back to Daryl and turned to Negan.

“If what’s true?”

“That your boy there,” he pointed past Shane, “enjoys hanging on his friend more than he should. Fucking faggot,” he spat.

And then Shane, Daryl, _and_ Glenn had to pull Rick off of Negan. By the time they got Rick away from him, Negan had a bloody nose, a black eye, and a bruise spreading on his face. Rick sported several bloody knuckles and had to endure a lecture from Coach Ford about injuring his throwing hand and letting the whole team down and didn’t he know he couldn’t just rely on Daryl to run the ball the whole damn game. 

By the time the lecture was through, Shane was the only person left in the locker room.

“Where’s Daryl and Glenn?” Rick asked, cause it would have looked weird if he’d only asked about Daryl.

“They went to the Huddle House,” Shane answered, the favorite spot of the four friends. “Daryl was pretty shaken up. You wanna explain what that was?”

“You tell me, Shane. You fuckin’ started it,” he snapped. 

“Yeah, but I’d already gotten several good punches in before the two of you showed up. No need for you to injure the million dollar hand.” Rick rolled his eyes at Shane’s nickname but didn’t answer him. “C’mon, brother,” Shane nudged his shoulder, “Talk to me.”

“I just couldn’t handle that prick calling Daryl that,” he tried to sound nonchalant, but Shane saw right through it.

“You sure that was the only reason?”

Rick ran his fingers through his hair, leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees. “Do you think it’s true?”

“All the rumors about Dare?”

Rick nodded in reply.

“I have to admit, I’ve always wondered,” Shane tilted his head a bit, “I mean he could get under any skirt in this school and he really doesn’t seem interested. But really, if it is true, what’s it matter?”

Rick looked up, incredulous, “It doesn’t matter to you?”

“It’s never gonna matter to me,” Shane answered, looking straight into Rick’s eyes, “he will always be my friend. It only matters to pricks like Negan who’s already jealous cause he’ll always sit on the bench behind Daryl. And to be honest, if Daryl had heard what Negan said, I know he’d shrug, roll his eyes, and turn away. I shouldn’t’ve thrown a punch in the first place, but I had a Rick Grimes moment,” he exhaled dramatically.

Rick stared at him for a minute. “I don’t know about Daryl,” he said slowly, full of pain, “he’s never admitted it to me. But Shane….I think….maybe….I am.”

“You’re what?”

“Gay,” he whispered, “I think I’m gay.” Silence hung in the air while the two best friends stared at each other for a minute.

“That all you wanna tell me?” Shane asked, genuinely curious.

“What else there to tell?” Rick threw his hands out, palms up, in shock. His best friend had said it would be ok if Daryl was, what was the difference if he was? Rick was having a moment here, and Shane was acting like it wasn’t a big deal.

“You gonna sit there and not admit to me that you like Dare? That that’s really why you tried to kill Negan? Cause he insulted the guy you got feelings for?” He nudged Rick’s shoulder again.

“How the fuck did you figure that out?” Rick managed to get out.

“You went from cool as a cucumber to wantin’ to beat Negan’s head in with a baseball bat in like….half a second. I may not be the brightest bulb in the box dude, but I ain’t stupid. Even if you aren’t gay, your at least bi and that’s ok too. But whatever it is, you gotta tell him, brother.”

“I can’t tell him. Not until I figure this out,” Rick shook his head.

“What’s there to figure out?” Shane asked. “You love him?”

“Yes,” he admitted, closing his eyes, “I love him.” It was past time he admitted it and by saying it out loud, he let himself feel it. He loved Daryl, as more than a friend, more than a teammate. He loved Daryl Dixon with his whole heart.

“Then fuck the labels, the gossip, and any other obstacle you think’s in your way. You tell the man you love how you feel about him and let the chips fall where they may.”

“What if he doesn’t feel the same way Shane? What if he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore? What if… Shane what if he hits me or something?” His voice was getting higher with every question he asked.

“Well,” Shane put his hand on his chin, like he was really considering Rick’s final question, “if he hits you, just hope it’s hard enough to give you a concussion and you forget you love him.” He smirked at Rick in his smarmy way and Rick shoved a half hearted punch against his shoulder.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Rick paced his bedroom in the dark. It was late, close to midnight, he reckoned, and still Daryl hadn’t showed. After their talk in the locker room, he and Shane drove to the Huddle House to meet Glenn and Daryl and the four friends ate dinner together, more subdued than they normally would have been. Rick couldn’t meet Daryl’s eyes; he was scared to death that his best friend (and maybe the love of his life) would see right through him. Cause Daryl could do that. Pin you down with a hawk-like gaze that made you feel like he was the predator and you were his prey. So he knew, he just knew if he met Daryl’s eyes, he would be stripped bare and Daryl would know. He would know all of his secrets before he even had a chance to open his mouth and he wanted to be able to explain. But he couldn’t even do that if Daryl didn’t show.

Thankfully, before Rick’s nerves got the better of him and gave him a heart attack at the ripe old age of sixteen, he heard a small pebble clatter against his window payne. He scurried down the hall to the stairs, as quietly as he could and all but ran to the basement door. Daryl was already standing there, leaning against the brick wall of the house, chewing his thumbnail, looking almost guilty for showing up so late. Rick let him in, locked the door behind them, and followed him up the stairs, even though it was his house. When they were safely inside Rick’s bedroom, Daryl turned and looked at him. And even with the lights still off, Rick could tell Daryl was looking at him in that way. That predator-prey way, like he was trying to anticipate Rick’s moves before he made them. Rick opened his mouth, intending to confess everything.

“You ok?” Daryl asked, beating him to the proverbial punch and Rick felt like a fish out of water, gaping open mouthed. Whatever he was going to say….it was gone now.

“Yeah,” Rick whispered, “I-I’m fine.”

“You were awful quiet at Huddle House. Ain’t like you,” he muttered around a thumbnail. 

“What took you so long?” Were the next words out of his mouth and he wanted to shove in not only his foot but maybe his fist as well.

Daryl looked at him for a second, before he said, “Waddn’t sure you wanted me here. After what Negan was saying.”

“Daryl….”

“Yeah,” Daryl flinched, like Rick was throwing stones at him, “I knew once you heard everyone else sayin’ that shit-”

“I’m gay,” Rick blurted out.

“Wh-what?” Now it was Daryl’s turn to be a fish.

“I’m gay,” he said again. “And I just….um, you know, figured it out, and what happened today-”

“Was cause you didn’t want Negan callin’ you that?” He tried to finish for him.

“No, dammit, Daryl, shut up for just a second and let me get this out!” Daryl jumped back a little bit; Rick was rarely so forceful with him but if Daryl interrupted him one more time he might spontaneously combust on the spot. “I always want you here, whatever other people say ain’t gonna change that. I don’t care what they say about me, but I’ll be damned if I stand by and let assholes like Negan call you a-a-a,” he couldn’t bring himself to say that word, it felt like worms crawling under his skin and nails scratching down a chalkboard at the same time; god he never realized just how much he hated that word, “what he called you today.”

“You ain’t gotta stand up fer me, Grimes. People say shit, you ignore it and move on.”

“Motherfucker,” Rick cursed under his breath.

“What?”

“Shane,” Rick shook his head. “He told me you woulda just ignored it all. That he and I both were in the wrong. Shouldn’ta risen to Negan’s bait.”

“Well from what I understand, Negan was saying a lot more shit than just callin’ me a fag and if you’da been payin’ attention at dinner, you woulda heard Glenn tellin’ us all that Negan was callin’ Lori and Maggie sluts and Glenn a-a-a, well _I_ ain’t sayin’ _that_ word, but anyway it was bad. So I get why Shane threw a punch, but I still don’t get why you did.”

“Because I love you,” Rick said before he could stop himself. And then, because he couldn’t stop himself, he said, “Oh shit,” and put his hands over his face.

“You-you-you…..what?”

“Please don’t hit me,” Rick begged, taking quick glances at Daryl through spread fingers.

“Ain’t gonna hit you,” Daryl mumbled, looking down at his feet. “You don’t know what your talkin’ bout.”

Rick wasn’t expecting that. He dropped his hands. “Yes I do,” he countered like a petulant child.

“You’re just now….you know….figurin’ stuff out. You don’t know if you-“

“Don’t tell me what I know and what I don’t, Dare,” Rick interrupted him. “I know how I feel.”

Daryl looked him in the eyes and took a tentative step toward him. “You sure?” 

Rick mirrored his movements and stepped forward too. “More than anything,” he whispered. Rick felt like a balloon floating above the ground, cut from its string, waiting to be blown in a direction and Daryl was the wind. Rick’s whole existence now depended on his reaction. “I love you, Daryl.”

They took one more step and their chests were almost touching. Daryl took a shuddering breath and exhaled. “God I’ve waited so long to hear you say that.”

And then Daryl’s lips crashed against his own and they were kissing and Rick’s life suddenly had direction. Daryl’s lips were softer than he imagined, molding around Rick’s like they were made to always be there. His lips parted a bit as he gasped at the thought and Daryl took the opportunity to slide his tongue hesitantly in between Rick’s lips. Rick groaned quietly and wrapped his arms around Daryl’s neck, pressing their bodies together. He felt Daryl’s arms wrap around his waist and shove his tongue further into Rick’s mouth. Rick felt dazed as he let himself feel Daryl and taste him. Daryl was….amazing. His shoulders were wider than Rick’s whole body and Rick thought he could bury himself inside his chest and never leave. He tasted like desperation and safety and the promise of new discoveries. Rick could have kissed him until the end of time, until the apocalypse happened and the world ceased to exist. But his brain had other ideas when he realized he was totally deprived of oxygen.

They pulled apart gasping for breath, blue eyes locking and searching each other’s souls for what they already knew to be true.

“What did you mean,” Rick breathed as he leaned his forehead against Daryl’s, “when you said you’ve waited so long to hear me say that?”

Daryl hesitated for just a moment. “I’ve loved you forever, Rick. Ever since that day in the locker room when you made me promise to sneak in to your room every night.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Cause I thought you were straight,” he smirked like he wanted to say “duh” and was having a hard time restraining himself. 

“How long have you known? That you were-“

“Gay?” Daryl finished for him. “Just earlier that same year.” He pulled back so that he could kiss Rick on his forehead. When he pulled his lips away, it was to lean down and bury his face in Rick’s neck. Rick pet his hair and felt Daryl relax into him. “I couldn’t tell you,” he whispered against Rick’s skin. “I was too afraid you’d hate me and not want to be friends anymore and I couldn’t lose you as a friend, Rick,” he almost sobbed, “I just couldn’t.”

“Shh,” Rick soothed him, petting his hair, “I know, Dare. You don’t gotta explain it to me. It’s ok now.” He kissed the top of his head and he felt Daryl sigh at the touch. “We should probably go to sleep. It’s late.”

But instead of answering, Daryl lifted his head and Rick looked down and their eyes met first, then their lips. They stood together for several minutes, kissing, tasting, and breathing each other in. Rick started slowly moving them both to his bed. Daryl seemed to just move to keep in contact with Rick. When Rick felt the backs of his legs hit the bed, he sat, pushed himself back on the bed, and laid down, pulling Daryl with him until he was on top of Rick. 

“Rick?” Daryl breathed in between kisses.

“Hmm?” Rick answered, placing a kiss on the corner of Daryl’s lips.

“I ain’t….I ain’t ready for….you know….”

“Neither am I,” Rick assured him, running his hands up and down Daryl’s back. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy this.”

“God Rick,” it sounded like a prayer and an expletive all at once before he leaned down and claimed Rick’s lips again. They kissed until Rick could feel himself start to harden. He pulled his lips away and sighed, he knew he wanted to but Daryl already said he wasn’t ready and he would never push him. 

“We should probably go to sleep,” Rick whispered.

“Can I….can I sleep here? With you? Tonight?”

“Of course you can, baby,” the endearment slipped from Rick before he could catch himself. But it didn’t feel weird or awkward. It felt natural. Rick kissed the top of Daryl’s head again; a silent encouragement to not freak out. Thankfully, Daryl just sighed, slid off Rick’s body to lay on the bed. But he rolled to his side, snuggled against Rick and lay his head on his chest. Rick wrapped his arms around him and felt more comfortable than he could ever remember being. 

“Rick?”

“Daryl?”

“Does this mean….we’re together? Like boyfriends or whatever?” He tried to sound nonchalant but Rick could hear how earnest the question was, how much Daryl needed to know.

“Is that what you want?”

“Don’t want no one else,” he answered and Rick’s arms tightened around him.

“Neither do I.” He admitted and then, because he was a romantic at heart, “Daryl?”

“Rick?”

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

Daryl chuckled, “You’re a sap.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Course it is.” They were silent for a while and Rick was on the edge of sleep when Daryl spoke again. “Hey Rick?”

“Yeah baby?” Rick whispered.

“We….we can’t….tell anyone about this. It’s not that I don’t wanna. Cause I’d shout it from the rooftops if I could. But Rick,” his voice was full of fear, “my dad will kill me if he finds out.”

And Rick knew he wasn’t exaggerating. Most of the time, when teenagers said “my parents will kill me” if they got a bad grade, or if they got caught drinking, they just meant they’d be in a whole lot of trouble. But not in Daryl’s case; cause Rick had seen the marks Will Dixon left on his son, just because he’d heard some drunken rumors that his son was gay. If it was confirmed, Rick knew he would beat Daryl until he took his last breath. 

Rick tightened his arms around Daryl until he was sure he was hurting him. 

“I’m not gonna let that happen. I swear to you, Daryl.” He didn’t care if they’d have to hide their relationship for the rest of their lives, he would do anything to protect Daryl. He couldn’t lose him, not now that he realized how much he loved him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter with ALL the sex.

The rest of Junior year passed by for Rick in a blur of firsts. The first time the Alexandria football team won the state playoffs; the team euphoria lasting until January when Rick and Daryl started getting phone calls from college programs. For their first Christmas as boyfriends, he got Daryl a cell phone. Nothing fancy cause he would’ve hated that, just a simple flip phone that Rick prepaid out of his own pocket so that they could call and text whenever they were apart, which wasn’t really all that often. It took some getting used to, but soon Daryl was texting him nonstop. The new year saw their first fight, because even though Rick was committed to keeping their relationship a secret, Shane already knew a little bit and Rick wanted to confirm it to his best friend. He was afraid that might be it for his brand new relationship but after a day of the silent treatment, Daryl conceded that Rick could tell Shane. His only stipulation was that Shane couldn’t tell anyone, not even Glenn. They both hated lying to their friend but they couldn’t risk it. After that was finally settled, the physical side of their relationship started to get more intense.

In February, Daryl gave Rick his first hand job and Rick seriously thought it was possible to die from too much pleasure. The feeling of Daryl’s hand around his cock, while he kissed every inch of him was so intense, he came faster than he ever had. But Daryl had another surprise up his sleeve. After the aftershocks of Rick’s orgasm subsided, Daryl pushed himself down the side of Rick’s body and licked at his skin until he cleaned off every drop of Rick’s release. Rick almost got hard again just watching him do it. 

In March, Daryl wisely waited until they were alone in the house before he leaned over, yanked Rick’s sweatpants down, and wrapped his soft lips around his cock. As soon as Rick felt the wet heat of Daryl’s mouth around his shaft he cried out loud. Daryl chuckled and the vibrations did things to his body he didn’t think was possible. He barely had time to choke out a warning before he was coming down Daryl’s throat. He felt Daryl swallow him greedily while he rode out his orgasm. After he recovered, he tucked himself back in his pants, smiled wickedly at his boyfriend, and dropped to his knees to return the favor. Daryl didn’t last any longer than he had and Rick swallowed him as best he could as Daryl threaded his fingers in Rick’s hair. Then they made out on the basement couch, tasting each other’s release until they heard Rick’s parents come home. At which point they jumped apart and picked up the controllers to Rick’s PS3 to start a game.

In April, Rick’s parents gave him an old pick up truck for his birthday and suddenly the world was open to him and Daryl. Curfew was ten on school nights and midnight on weekends and since Daryl was always with Rick, it extended to him as well. If Rick’s parents noticed the uptick in Daryl’s presence at their house, they didn’t comment on it and the boys reveled in the near constant time they got to spend together. They spent weekend nights enjoying the balmy spring weather, parked on a dead end dirt road in King County. Rick kept pillows and blankets under the seat in the cab and the both of them would lay in the bed, sometimes kissing, sometimes laying on their backs holding hands and talking. 

One night when the air was warmer than it had been all year, they both thought they could feel the warmth in their veins. Rick and Daryl were holding hands, Rick’s thumb stroking Daryl’s hand slowly, when Rick felt him take a breath and shudder. Acting on his growing desire, Rick rolled over and straddled his boyfriend, loving the way Daryl’s pupils blew out at the contact. Daryl was already hard in his jeans and Rick felt his own erection grow incredibly fast. 

“Rick,” Daryl moaned as their cocks rubbed together through their jeans.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t wanna do,” Rick said before he pressed his lips to Daryl’s throat and rocked his hips into Daryl’s.

“God please don’t stop,” Daryl moaned as he wrapped his arms around Rick’s back and started thrusting his hips up to meet Rick’s. They still hadn’t gone “all the way” and both of them were ok with that, no reason to rush things. They still gave each other hand jobs and blowjobs whenever they had the opportunity but they both agreed they wanted their first time to be special and unhurried. However, they way they were rocking and pressing together was a new sensation and when Rick pushed down he could feel that Daryl was just as turned on as he was and he leaned in to shove his tongue into Daryl’s gasping mouth. Their fingers threaded together and they moved as one, thrusting and kissing and putting pressure in all the right spots until they were coming in their jeans, Daryl first and then Rick only seconds behind him.

“I love you, Daryl,” he said as soon as he came back to earth. “God I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Rick,” Daryl whispered back. 

In May, they celebrated the end of the school year by getting summer jobs; Rick started working for his mom’s brother who was a successful landscaper in the area, and Daryl got a job working for the man who sold Rick’s parents his pickup truck. Dale Horvath had been a friend of Rick’s parents for a long time and was very upset when he learned Rick let his friend service the truck. That is, until he realized how talented Daryl was around engines. And since Dale’s shop was on the way to Rick’s uncle’s office, it just made sense for Daryl to stay with them during the summer. At least that’s how Rick’s parents phrased it the night after Rick and Daryl announced they were both on a payroll. Daryl was full of stuttering gratitude while Rick was almost brought to tears. Daryl was all but guaranteed two plus months away from his father and Rick could continue to make good on his promise of protecting him. 

At the end of June, Rick came home by himself for lunch. Daryl had texted him, saying that Dale was treating the guys at the garage to pizza for lunch, so Rick was on his own. He intended to go to his room and change before he ate but he opened his door and found it was already occupied. Rick’s mom, Elaine, was looking guilty as she slipped something in Rick’s sock drawer that most certainly wasn’t socks.

“Mom! What are you doing?”

Elaine Grimes nearly jumped a foot off the floor when she heard her son’s voice. She dropped the box in the drawer as well as the basket of laundry she had propped against her hip.

“Jesus Rick, you bout scared me to death.”

“What did you just put in there?” He asked, stepping closer. 

“I’m just making sure my baby is being smart, is all. Forget I was here.”

Rick strode past his mom and stuck his hand in the drawer, pulling out the box.

“Condoms? Really mom!”

“Look,” she held up her hands in surrender, “I don’t need details, I just wanted to make sure you and Daryl were being safe.”

Her words might as well have been a fist punching into his gut for how fast his breath left him.

“Me a-a-and….what?” He sputtered.

“I’ve read it’s not something boys think about since you can’t get pregnant, but that’s how diseases get spread,” she explained as she picked up the laundry basket.

“Mom, Daryl and I aren’t-“ but he couldn’t finish his sentence. The lie was becoming tiresome, grown so much that it was harder to hold. But Elaine didn’t know that and just took his words at face value and stoically in stride.

“Well, even if you were, it would be ok. Your dad and I love you no matter what. And for what it’s worth, I think you and Daryl would work really well together.” And with a knowing smile, she left Rick standing in his room, open mouthed, still holding the box of condoms.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Later that night, after Rick picked Daryl up from work and they ate at Huddle House, Rick drove them to their usual spot in the middle of nowhere. They hadn’t really been talking, just laying side by side, holding hands, listening to the crickets, and watching the stars. After a while, Rick thought it was time to talk to his boyfriend, so he tugged at Daryl’s hand. Already used to that signal, Daryl rolled over so that his front was plastered to Rick’s chest. His legs were still touching the truck but the rest of him was laying on top of Rick. Rick wrapped his arms around Daryl and held him tight before he opened his mouth.

“My mom knows,” he said softly. As predicted, Daryl tried to jump off of him with a startled yelp. “Shhh,” Rick tightened his grip even more so that Daryl couldn’t escape. “It’s ok.”

“If she knows then your dad knows,” Daryl said, as though that was the end of an argument and he would win it.

“Yes, I’m sure he does. But they’re ok with it.”

“Did you tell her?”

“Of course not, baby. I told her we weren’t together but I could tell she didn’t believe me.”

“How did this come up anyway?”

Rick tried to stifle the hysterical laugh but it still escaped.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m just immature and horny,” Rick admitted. “I walked into my room and found mom trying to slip a box of condoms in my sock drawer.”

Daryl started laughing after he understood how Rick’s mind got in the gutter and Rick could feel the vibrations in his own chest.

“Well?” Daryl asked as soon as he stopped laughing.

“Well what?”

“What’d you do with ‘em? The….condoms?” Rick could hear the embarrassment in his voice.

“Left most of ‘em at home in the box.”

“Most of ‘em?”

“I gotta couple in my wallet right now.”

“You hopin’ to get lucky tonight, Grimes?”

“Just thought it would be good to be prepared,” Rick answered as innocently as possible. “You know….just in case.”

Daryl lifted his head and looked Rick in the eye. “Oh yeah, you just put them in there, no plan, just….just in case. And what about lube, Mr Just In Case?”

Rick smiled but didn’t verbally answer as he reached under his head and felt in the pillowcase he was laying on and pulled out a brand new bottle lube. “I picked it up before I came to get you.”

Over the past few months, they’d done their research. It was embarrassing and arousing and embarrassing because it was arousing. But in everything they found, it was clear that enough lube and preparation was key if they were going to have sex together safely and Rick was all about safety. He never wanted to hurt Daryl, in any way, shape, or form. Not that they’d really discussed that part, so Rick wasn’t exactly sure how that would go, but he still wanted to be prepared.

“You’re a damn boy scout, you know that?” Daryl scoffed at him, but Rick couldn’t respond in kind. Things suddenly felt serious and he wasn’t going to brush that under the rug. 

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Daryl,” he reassured him.

“But I do want to. I’m ready, Rick.”

Rick gasped quietly as what he said sank in. “Are you sure?”

Daryl’s answer was to lean down and kiss Rick’s opened mouth. He slid his tongue in and Rick lapped at it with his own. They made out like that for a few minutes, until Daryl moved his leg in between Rick’s and pressed it against the bulge in his shorts. Rick groaned in Daryl’s mouth before he pulled back and looked Rick in the eye.

“I’m sure, Rick,” his voice low with arousal. “I want- I want- I want you inside of me,” he panted out. He was trembling and Rick felt his own course through his body. 

“I love you, Daryl,” Rick replied, cause what else was there to say?

“I love you, too, Rick. I trust ya,” he added before he rolled off Rick, onto his back, and pulled Rick on top of him. And suddenly Rick was straddling Daryl. He looked into those blue eyes he loved so much and saw the fire in them. He leaned down and kissed him gently as his fingers trailed down to the waistband of Daryl’s shorts. He undid the button and zipper and then did the same to his own shorts. Daryl’s breath was coming in ragged pants now. Rick leaned up and grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off over his head slowly, letting Daryl’s eyes take in every inch that he revealed. They’d seen each other’s bodies before, many times, but this was different. This time they would be using their bodies to show how much they loved each other and Rick wanted every moment to be good for Daryl, wanted him to see how committed Rick was to him. 

While Rick was sitting up on his lap, Daryl leaned up and stripped out of his own shirt and laid back down, his mass of beautiful muscles spread out for Rick to see. He leaned down and brushed his lips gently against Daryl’s left nipple. When he felt Daryl’s shudder, he opened his mouth and let his tongue flick over the little nub, a little harder with every stroke.

“Oh my god, Rick,” Daryl breathed out and it spurred Rick on. He moved to the right nipple and repeated his ministrations. Rick could feel Daryl writhing under him, pushing his chest up, trying to get more contact between his skin and Rick’s tongue. Rick moved down Daryl’s chest, placing kisses on him as he got closer to his waist. He slid off as he slipped his fingers into Daryl’s waist band.

“Lift up for me, baby,” Rick encouraged. Daryl lifted his hips and Rick slid his shorts down and off, taking his boxers too and then Daryl was naked and wanting and waiting for Rick. Rick put a hand between Daryl’s naked thighs and nudged them just a bit but Daryl knew what he wanted. He spread his legs and Rick climbed in between them. He put a hand on each of Daryl’s legs and rubbed them lightly. “Daryl, are you sure?”

“Please, Rick, please.”

Rick thought he might come in his pants before they could really get started. He opened the brand new bottle of lube and squeezed a generous amount on his fingers. He used his other hand to spread Daryl as open as he could and he felt Daryl adjust his hips to give him better access. He put his slick fingers on Daryl’s opening gently, not really pressing, just touching and Daryl moaned loudly at the contact.

“Shh,” Rick said as he started to move his fingers in a circular motion just wanting him to get used to his fingers being there. It was like a small, very specific massage and soon he felt Daryl start to relax. He pressed a little more firmly and the muscle gave way enough for the tip of Rick’s finger to slide in.

“Riiiiiiick,” Daryl drew his name out in a long moan.

“Am I hurting you?” 

But Daryl just shook his head back and forth, his eyes closed. Rick moved the finger back out and in again, pushing in past the first joint now. Daryl was so tight, but he said it didn’t hurt so Rick continued to press in slowly, so slowly until Daryl had taken his whole finger.

“So good, Rick,” he panted, “Feels so good.”

“Jesus, Daryl,” Rick breathed. He started moving his finger around inside of Daryl, pressing, exploring, until he found that little spot he’d read about. Daryl’s prostate. As soon as his finger brushed over it, Daryl nearly jumped out of the truck. He slapped his hand over his mouth to stop his cry of surprise but Rick could hear the whine anyway. He pressed against that sweet spot again, rubbing and pushing on it.

“Rick,” Daryl got his attention, “you gotta-gotta stop.”

Rick completely froze. “Am I hurting you?”

“Fuck no, but I’m gonna come like this if you don’t stop and I ain’t ready for this to be over yet.”

Rick chuckled at that and, leaving his finger inside, leaned down and kissed Daryl, a silent praise for his communication. He pulled back and stopped his assault on Daryl’s prostate. He poured a little more lube directly where his finger disappeared into Daryl’s body and moaned at the sight of that in the moonlight. He gently started to press a second finger in, giving Daryl time to adjust to the stretch of it. This time he focused specifically on the muscles of the opening, scissoring his fingers like he’d read about. He tried to be gentle and by the sound of Daryl’s moans and the sight of his squirms, he was enjoying it. Rick’s cock throbbed in his shorts but he forced himself to be patient. He kept working his fingers in and out until Daryl spoke.

“One more,” he rasped. “For just a minute.”

Rick did as he asked, working that third finger in until they were all the way in Daryl. Both of them were breathing heavy now. Rick wrapped his other hand around Daryl’s shaft, just lightly, and gave him a few soft strokes.

“M ready, Rick. Please.” His voice was low and completely wrecked, and Rick had only gotten his fingers in. He removed them gently, noticing how Daryl winced slightly. He awkwardly took off his shorts and boxers and finally, finally, they were both naked in the bed of the truck. He pulled out his wallet and grabbed a condom, opened it, and rolled it onto his cock. He was so hard, it was almost painful. He squeezed out more lube, first on himself, then on Daryl for good measure. Daryl grabbed his legs under his knees and spread himself apart, completely open and vulnerable to Rick. He moved closer until his thighs were touching Daryl’s and the head of his cock was touching Daryl’s entrance.

“Rick, please,” he begged again.

“You have to tell me if you need me to stop. I don’t want to hurt you, baby.”

“You won’t, but I’ll tell ya. Please, I’m dyin’ over here!”

And with their eyes locked the entire time, Rick started to push himself into the love of his life, his best friend, his soulmate. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt and his mouth opened as he gasped at the sensation. Nothing felt better than this; not Daryl’s hand, not his mouth. Nothing could compare to the vice like tightness that seemed to pull Rick in further of its own accord.

“Oh my god!” Daryl cried out, his head and shoulders jolting up from the bed of the truck.

“Are you ok?” Rick stopped when he was almost halfway in.

“Give me,” he panted, “just a minute.”

“No rush,” Rick managed to get out. “Just let me know when I can move again.” And every second that Daryl breathed to try to relax felt like an eternity. Rick wanted nothing more than to have his cock be entirely consumed by Daryl’s tight body, but he swore he wouldn’t hurt him. So he waited. It was no more than a minute, but it felt like forever, when he felt Daryl relax around him.

“Ok, I’m good,” he said and Rick sank the rest of the way in. When he bottomed out, he couldn’t resist leaning over Daryl’s chest and kissing him with everything he had. He pulled out just a bit and pushed back in while he had his tongue down Daryl’s throat. Daryl moaned around Rick’s tongue and Rick took that as a good sign. He pulled out even further and pushed back in again. Their mouths broke apart and Rick put his hands on either side of Daryl’s head to support his weight and really start thrusting.

“Yes, Rick! God yes! Just like that,” and that was the last of Daryl’s coherent words. As Rick picked up the pace, Daryl only released grunts and moans but all of them were full of pleasure. After a few thrusts Rick was pulling almost all the way out before slamming back in and he knew he was hitting Daryl’s prostate. As much as he wanted to be buried in Daryl for the rest of his life, he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. Every thrust pulled his orgasm closer and closer to the surface. Apparently Daryl was experiencing the same sensation.

“M gonna come!” He finally got out and Rick reached between their bodies and wrapped his hand around Daryl’s cock and that was all it took. He didn’t even have time to stroke before Daryl was spilling hot all over his hand and between their stomachs. As he came, Daryl’s muscles also clenched around Rick and he was overwhelmed by the tight heat. It was the last push he needed and everything tensed and broke apart at once and he was coming inside Daryl and stars erupted in front of his eyes and the sound of his heart pounding filled his ears and everything was bliss. 

He dropped his head to Daryl’s shoulder as he came back to his senses. His cock was softening and he pulled out as gently as he could. Daryl winced but he also wrapped his arms around Rick’s back and held them together.

“Wow,” Rick breathed.

“Damn straight,” Daryl agreed.

“I think this means we aren’t straight, Daryl.”

“Stop,” Daryl replied, but Rick could hear the smile in his voice.

They laid together, Rick on Daryl’s chest, until they were basically glued together by sweat and come. Daryl ran his fingers through Rick’s curls as their breathing returned to normal and Rick felt boneless, like he could just melt into Daryl’s body. 

“I’m so happy,” he told Daryl.

“Me too.”

It was the first night of many the two young men spent naked in the bed of that pickup truck. They quickly learned every inch of each other’s bodies, what they liked, what they didn’t. And every time they made love, Rick thought their connection grew stronger and stronger. The rest of the summer passed too quickly for them both, but they felt ready to face their senior year together. Both of them knew that, together, they could handle whatever life threw at them, but they also foolishly thought that the peace they had during the summer would last the rest of their lives. Rick thought, looking back, he should have been waiting for the other shoe to drop.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has the more intense physical abuse scenes. None of the scenes are described as they are happening, only after the fact and in more vague descriptions.

Senior year dawned with a rude awakening for Rick and Daryl. The night before school started back, Daryl decided to stay at his own house. They talked about it at length the night before that and Daryl was concerned that his father was growing suspicious of all the time he was spending at Rick’s. And against Rick’s better judgement, he agreed to defer to Daryl’s on the subject of his dad. So after their last day of work, Rick dropped him off a few hundred yards from Daryl’s trailer and forced himself to keep his hands on the steering wheel. They sat there for several minutes, not knowing what to do, because normally, there would be a goodbye kiss, a brush of fingers, an embrace, something. Instead, terse “I love you’s” were exchanged, a promise to text constantly, and Daryl got out of the truck, looking like it was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. 

It was ten o’clock that night, just six hours after Rick dropped Daryl off (he’d kept careful count) that his phone rang.

“Daryl?” He answered.

“Rick,” it came out as a sob.

“What happened?”

“Rick,” Daryl sobbed harder.

“I’m coming to get you.” And Rick threw on the first pair of shorts his hands touched, ran to his truck, and broke about ten different laws getting to the trailer park. He threw the truck in park as soon as Daryl’s trailer was in sight and jumped out without cutting the engine.

“Daryl!” He called out, not caring in the least who heard him. Daryl burst out of the door and ran to Rick like a man possessed. He threw himself in Rick’s waiting arms and sobbed. 

“C’mon,” Rick pulled him to the truck, “we gotta get out of here.” Daryl was pliant in his arms, letting Rick pull him to the truck and helping him in. By the time Rick got in the driver’s side, Daryl could barely control himself. He was bent over, almost in half, tears running down his face. Rick continued to break the speed limit as he drove to their spot.

As soon as he parked the truck, he pulled Daryl into his arms and just held him. He pet his hair and rubbed his back. He didn’t say anything, because there was nothing comforting to say. He’d let Daryl down; he should have insisted that Daryl stay with him that night. He promised Daryl that he’d protect him and he was just starting to realize that not only did he break that promise, it was a promise that might be impossible to keep. At least while they were still in high school, and only seventeen. 

By the time he finally got Daryl calmed down, it was after midnight and they still hadn’t moved. Once he could breathe normally again, Rick finally got it out of Daryl that his dad was at the bar again and heard more, even stronger rumors about his sexuality and Will Dixon came home set on beating it out of his son once again. Rick let him go the minute he realized there were open wounds on Daryl’s back, but Daryl cried out at the loss of his arms around him and clung to him even harder. Rick put his arms back on his boyfriend but was more careful. He drove them home, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding Daryl as he laid his head on Rick’s shoulder. They snuck back into Rick’s room and he made Daryl take his shirt off so he could clean and dress the cuts on his back.

“What did this?”

“Belt buckle,” Daryl whispered. 

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

“I should have but….but I didn’t want you there for that.”

“I don’t care, Daryl.” He came around so that he could look Daryl in the eye. “You’re going to call or text me next time. The minute you so much as think that he’s going to do something. I can’t stand seeing you hurt, baby, not when I can do something about it,” he was fighting tears on his last words and he knew Daryl could hear it. He put his hand on Rick’s cheek and pulled him down for a soft kiss.

When they broke apart, Daryl was smiling. “I’ll send you a SOS,” he chuckled a little as he said it but Rick heard the promise nonetheless.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Senior year was hard. Rick felt like, with everything they had going on, he was barely keeping his head above water. But he had Daryl and that was all that mattered. They still were able to spend a lot of time together, but they were just so _busy_. They had football practice every day and were working harder than ever to push the team. They wanted another state championship, to go out with a bang, and the effort did not go unnoticed. 

Rick and Daryl were getting calls at least once a week from college programs and soon interviews were set up and meetings and campus visits and words like “recruiting” were thrown around. They made it clear from the beginning that they wouldn’t go to different places and the only college that didn’t extend the invitation to the both of them was resolutely refused (the words Daryl actually used were “Fuck Tennessee,” but Rick made sure he was more polite than that on the phone). However, the prospect of playing college ball came with a lot of anxiety.

There were entrance tests to take and application after application to fill out. Not to mention, they both had to keep their GPA up so they would be eligible at all. Every night after practice saw Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Shane (who were both being looked at by some smaller college programs) crowding the Grimes’ dining room table, books spread out everywhere and papers sometimes scattering the floor. Glenn took it upon himself to tutor all of them, with a little bit of help from Rick here and there. Rick’s mom made sure they were all fed a delicious dinner and snacks that she called brain food, up until Glenn and Shane left for the night. Then she would make a fuss about it being too late for Rick to drive Daryl home and just insist he spend the night with them. After a week of the same conversation, it was just expected that Daryl stay with them. Elaine made no more mention of them being together, but Rick caught enough of her knowing smiles to know that she knew. And even crazier, she was ok with it. And if she was ok with it, then his dad must be too.

With that knowledge, he started pushing Daryl for them to officially come out to Rick’s parents and maybe even Glenn, but Daryl still refused to do it. And Rick couldn’t exactly blame him. Thanks to Rick’s care, the wounds Daryl’s dad gave him the night before school started healed quickly, but Rick couldn’t do anything about the scars they created. Daryl would have those scars forever, and even though they weren’t the first or only scars Will Dixon had given his son, Rick felt responsible for them. He could have prevented those particular scars and he was reminded of that every time he saw the fear in Daryl’s eyes at the mention of them revealing their relationship. So they kept quiet, not touching each other in public and trying to make up for it in private. They wouldn’t have sex in the house, but they made it a routine of driving out to their spot every Friday night after a football game. Celebratory sex, they joked, since they were on a winning streak. But Daryl did fall asleep in Rick’s arms every night, despite the show they made of the trundled being messed up so that it looked slept in. 

So with the routine they established, Daryl was basically living with the Grimes family and both of them were more than ok with it. Rick sometimes took Daryl to his place, if they knew Merle was there, but it was a rare occurrence and Will never seemed to worry about his son’s whereabouts, so they just continued on as they were. 

When November rolled around, they celebrated their one year anniversary by taking a break from all the studying and making love under the stars in their usual spot. There was a slight chill to the air, but they ignored it, choosing to lay naked with Rick plastered to Daryl’s chest and their arms around each other. They talked for a long while and by the time they had to get dressed and make it home for curfew, they’d come to a decision about the future. A future that they wanted to ensure included each other.

The Alexandria Football team went all the way to the state championship again that year and it was Daryl who, on the last play of the game and down by three, ran the ball in for the winning touchdown. As the team lifted him in celebration, it took all of Rick’s willpower to not kiss him right then and there in front of God and everybody. But he waited until they finally made it home, at three that morning, to ravage his boyfriend everywhere with his mouth. It was just a good thing Daryl was able to keep quiet as he came hard down Rick’s throat.

The next week, the two of them decided to continue the celebration by participating in the early signing day. And in front of the school, they both signed their commitment to Georgia Tech, feeling that they made the absolute best decision for them. It was closer to home than UGA and they both liked the idea of playing in a less competitive conference. They hoped they would get more actual playing time than they would at a program like Georgia or Alabama.

Their spirits were high the day after, the future coming towards them seemed full of promise. Daryl finally agreed that after they graduated and moved onto campus, they could tell Rick’s parents. Maybe that was why he was able to convince Rick to take him home. Merle was out and Daryl wanted to tell him that he would be playing college ball. So Rick dropped him off with a quick kiss on the cheek and a promise to pick him up by eight and Daryl jumped happily from the truck to tell his brother the good news. Rick drove home with a smile on his face, already counting down the minutes until he could go pick up his boyfriend.

Rick had only been home for an hour, working on some homework while Elaine fixed dinner, when his phone pinged with a text message. Before he could even reach for it, it pinged again and by the time he had it in his hand, it pinged a third time. He opened it to see three text messages, all from Daryl, all in All Caps.

‘SOS’  
‘SOS’  
‘SOS’

“Oh shit!” Rick pushed himself out of his chair so fast it clattered to the ground.

“Rick?” His mom called from the kitchen, but Rick was already trying to scramble to the front door, his feet unable to find purchase on the floor. His chest was filled with pure panic and it barely registered that the front door was opening. Rick collided with his dad, and tried to push him out of the way.

“Woah, where’s the fire, son?” Scott asked jokingly, before he saw the terror in Rick’s eyes.

“Daryl. Gotta go. His dad-” he couldn’t get anything else out, but Scott Grimes understood completely.

“Get in my car, right now.” Rick ran to the police cruiser and jumped in the passenger seat. His dad must have given a quick explanation to his mom, but he got in and turned the engine back on just a moment later. He threw the car in reverse, turned on the flashing red and blue lights and started speeding to the other side of town.

“What happened?” Scott asked. And Rick opened his mouth and everything came spilling out. He told his dad everything: the day in ninth grade when he first saw the marks; how Daryl had started sneaking in before he was invited to stay; how Daryl was terrified to tell anyone about his dad; all the other wounds and beatings Rick had helped him heal from; how he figured out last year that he loved Daryl; how they’d been in a relationship ever since. He even told his dad that they’d been having sex. By the time Rick finished his hurried confession, they were only minutes away from Daryl’s trailer. Scott picked up his radio and called dispatch to report possible (and by possible he meant definitely) child abuse and asked for backup. Rick’s stomach churned as he heard his dad ask for an ambulance too, just in case.

“We are going to have an in depth conversation about all this when we get home,” Scott said through gritted teeth, and Rick knew he was in a heap of trouble, “but right now, my main concern is getting Daryl out of here safely. You will stay in this car until I tell you it is safe to come out. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir,” Rick answered immediately as Daryl’s trailer came into view. Scott had barely put the car in park when another police car pulled up beside it. He got out and left Rick inside. Rick recognized Tyrese Williams as he got out of the other car and jogged up behind Rick’s dad as Scott kicked the door in, guns drawn. Rick wanted to put his head in his hands and curl up in a ball and die. He could see every bad decision dance before his eyes. All the times he should have told his dad, all the times he felt the unsettling of his stomach when Daryl made him promise not to say anything. If he really loved Daryl, he would have done anything to get him out of that house, even break his promise to his soulmate. 

The minutes passed and the tears flowed freely from Rick’s eyes. What if they were too late? What if Daryl’s dad finally went too far? He kept his eyes glued to the door and finally saw Tyrese emerge, escorting Will Dixon out of his own home wearing handcuffs. As soon as the pair was out of the doorway, Rick saw his dad step through it. He gestured with his head for Rick to come inside and Rick jumped out of the car so fast he hit his knee on the door, but he barely felt it. He got up to the doorway, but Scott kept his way blocked.

“Stop, son. I need you to take a breath. He’s asking for you. Be careful not to move him. You can hold his hand, but don’t touch him anywhere else. Do you understand me, Rick?”

“Yes, sir,” Rick barely got out. His mouth was so dry as all of his dad’s words sank into his brain. 

Scott moved aside and let Rick in. “He’s in his room.”

Rick’s feet felt like they were weighted with concrete shoes as he walked slowly towards Daryl’s room. Just a few seconds before he would have run towards his love as fast as his feet could carry him. But after hearing his dad, he was suddenly terrified and for so many reasons. He walked down the hall, almost on autopilot and turned into the room that he’d only been in a handful of times.

The room was a wreck. It was obvious that whatever happened, Daryl had put up one hell of a fight. It looked more like a tornado had hit. It took his eyes several seconds of scanning the wreckage before he saw Daryl’s still body, laying on the floor, his side flush with the wall.

“Daryl,” he choked out and felt the metaphorical concrete fall from his feet. He ran through the room, doing his best to avoid all of Daryl’s things that littered the floor and he fell to his knees beside his boyfriend. Bruises were blossoming over every inch of his exposed skin and Rick knew there would be more, they were just covered by Daryl’s clothes at the moment. One eye was completely swollen shut and there must have been an open wound on his head because his hair was matted with blood. “Oh, Daryl.” Sobs ripped out of Rick’s chest and he gently reached down and picked up the hand that was closest to him. As soon as their skin touched, Daryl opened one eye and Rick breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank God.”

“Rick,” his voice was weak and pained.

“Oh Daryl. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Ain’t your fault,” he whispered. “I shouldn’ta made ya promise.”

“Shh, don’t try to talk anymore, just rest. The ambulance is on the way.”

“Don’t go,” he begged Rick.

“I’m not going anywhere. I will never leave you. I love you so much, Daryl, so much.”

“Love you, too.” 

They fell silent after that. Rick held his hand so softly, it was more like Daryl’s hand was just resting in his palm. Daryl closed his eye again and Rick wasn’t sure if he passed out or if he was just trying to rest. The paramedics arrived a few minutes later and Rick had to get out of the way so they could fit a collar around Daryl’s neck and ease him on a backboard. Rick couldn’t ride in the ambulance so before they loaded Daryl into it, he made them stop for just a second.

“I’ll be right behind you, ok?”

Daryl cracked his good eye open, “Kay.” Daryl was secure now, so it seemed safe enough when Rick leaned down and gently kissed his split lip.

“See you in a few, baby.”

“Love you,” Daryl breathed out.

“Love you, too.” And Rick stepped away so they could load him in the ambulance. He got in his dad’s car and they followed the ambulance to the hospital.

“They’re going in without the lights and sirens on,” Scott broke the silence when they got on the highway, “that’s a good sign. Means he probably just looks worse than he really is.”

“I’m sorry, dad,” was Rick’s reply. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I thought I was doing the right thing. He made me promise not to tell, so I made him promise to stay at our house. I thought I was protecting him.” Rick put his head in his hands and started sobbing again. “I thought I was doing the right thing,” he said again.

“I know, son,” his dad replied gently.

“If I’dda told you, this never would have happened.”

“You don’t know that. I know why Daryl made you promise not to tell anyone.”

Rick raised his head to look at his father. “You do?”

“I see this every day, Rick. Daryl is no exception.”

“I still should have told you.”

“We’ll talk more about it when we all get home.”

“All?”

“It’s Daryl’s home too, you know. Your mom and I have always been adamant about that. He’s always been a part of our family. I hope that one day, we’ll get to make it official.” He gave his son a little wink.

“You knew this whole time, didn’t you?”

“You’re my son and I know it may not seem like it at times, but I do know you.”

“I love him, dad,” Rick said.

“I know you do.”

“I’m gonna marry him one day,” he promised.

“I know you are,” Scott replied with a smile. 

Scott let Rick out of the car in the ambulance bay so that he could walk in with Daryl. The paramedics assured him that Daryl was indeed not as bad as he looked, although they had to admit that he looked pretty bad. They showed Rick where he could wait and they took Daryl to X-Ray first.

Rick sat in the chair in the room and pulled out his phone and called the only other person he could. He answered on the third ring.

“Shane?” Rick barely choked out and he was crying all over again. It took awhile for him to calm down, everything just seemed to really sink in, sitting in the hospital. He started talking and just didn’t stop. Shane listened to every word. He already knew a lot about Rick and Daryl’s relationship, but he most definitely didn’t know the truth about Daryl’s dad.

“Where is he now?” Shane asked.

“X-ray. They said they may have to do a CAT scan? I think that’s what they called it.”

“Well I think a profession in the medical field is out for you,” Shane quipped and Rick huffed out a small laugh. “Is it ok for me to call Glenn?”

“Yeah,” Rick answered, “I’ve hated not telling him about this.”

“Oh, he knew.”

“What?” Rick nearly jumped out of the chair. “You said you weren’t gonna tell anyone!”

“And I didn’t, bro. But you were trying to keep a secret from the smartest dude in our class, not to mention he’s known you almost as long as I have. He figured it out all on his own.”

Rick closed his eyes and shook his head; he should have known keeping this a secret was a bad idea.

“If I hang up now, you gonna be ok?” Shane asked. “I wanna call Glenn and see if he’ll come with me to the hospital. Don’t want you there by yourself.”

“Yeah I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Shane promised. “And Rick?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t beat yourself up about this, like I know you’re gonna do. It ain’t your fault Daryl’s dad is a scumbag.”

“But I-”

“Did you not hear a word I just said?” Shane asked, scoffing. “I’ll see you soon, bro.” And the line went dead before Rick could argue anymore. 

Not long after his phone call, Rick’s dad came into the room. “They still haven’t brought him back yet?”

“No, I think they were doing more than just an X-Ray,” Rick replied, remembering Shane’s little joke earlier and not wanting to get the term wrong again. “You were right though,” he told him, “about him looking worse than he really is.”

“Head wounds bleed a shit ton.”

“Dad!” Rick couldn’t ever remember hearing his dad curse.

“What? It’s been a long day.” But he chuckled and Rick had to laugh a little too. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before the door opened and Daryl was wheeled into the room on a hospital bed. He still looked a little out of it, but Rick jumped to his side as soon as the orderlies parked the bed. A doctor followed them in, holding scans and good news. Daryl had a concussion, a fractured wrist, and a cracked rib. The cut on his head would need stitches and they wanted to keep him for observation for one night, but he was going to make a full recovery, and none of his injuries would hinder his football career. Daryl became fully conscious when a different doctor came in to put in the stitches and was suddenly very vocal when he found out they were going to have to shave off a patch of his hair.

“Rick,” Daryl whined as they held hands, Rick making sure he was out of the way.

“It’ll grow back,” Rick soothed him.

“It’s gonna look weird,” he countered, stubbornly. 

“You still look good to me, baby.” He kissed Daryl’s temple.

“Excuse me,” Scott reprimanded them, “I’m standing right here.” Daryl blushed, but Rick could tell he was just messing with them. Like Scott had said earlier, he knew his son, and likewise, Rick knew his dad. They smiled at each other and Rick just rubbed his thumb across Daryl’s hand as the doctor carefully cut away his hair and started on the stitches. After he was done, Daryl was moved to a regular room at which time they were found by Shane and Glenn and Coach Ford, of all people.

They all sat in Daryl’s room for a while, talking quietly, keeping Daryl’s mind off what happened and Rick could tell that he was grateful for the distraction. Rick never let go of Daryl’s hand but no one said anything about it, they just acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. Finally, they could tell Daryl was getting tired so Shane and Glenn left first, promising to talk to them tomorrow. Coach Ford looked like he was going to follow them out, but stopped in the doorway for a second. 

“Never been prouder of two players than I am of you two,” his voice was gruff and Rick was shocked at his sincerity. “Now you better take care of yourself, Dixon, cause if you overdo it and fuck up your chances at that scholarship, I will personally make sure you’re cleaning practice equipment for the rest of your life.” The threat was an empty one, they both knew it, but somehow hearing it made them realize nothing could change Coach Ford, not even his emotions, and they both smiled. 

“Hang on, Coach,” Scott stopped him, “I’ll walk you out.” Then he turned back to Rick, “You staying here tonight?”

“Yeah,” he answered after he felt Daryl’s grip tighten on his hand.

“I’ll have your mom swing by in the morning with clothes and whatnot for the both of you.”

“Thanks, dad.”

Scott Grimes hesitated for a second, then walked over to the hospital bed. He put his hand on Rick’s shoulder and then kissed the top of his head. He pulled away and leaned over to kiss the top of Daryl’s head too, taking care of his stitches. 

“Get some rest boys,” he said thickly.

“Yes sir,” they said at the same time, although Rick could tell that Daryl’s voice sounded a little more emotional than his own. Scott nodded at them and then he and Coach Ford left. Rick turned to see that Daryl had tears in his eyes.

“What hurts, baby?” 

“Nothin’,” he replied, rubbing his eyes, “I just….didn’t expect…..all a that.” 

Rick kissed his forehead. “I’ve told you that you’re already part of our family. You have been for a long time.” Rick thought for a second and his forehead wrinkled. “Although I was kinda surprised to see Coach here.”

“I wasn’t,” Daryl replied. “I figured they called him first.”

“What? Why?”

“He and your dad are my emergency contact and since your dad was already here….”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah,” Daryl answered, looking away. “I added your dad two years ago, but Coach has been on there since I joined the team in the eighth grade.”

“I didn’t know that,” Rick responded softly, his chest pressed against the bed rail, rubbing Daryl’s arm gently.

“I never told you that story?” He asked and Rick shook his head. “You know I went to tryouts that day just to piss my dad off, cause he told me he wasn’t gonna pay for me to play any sport and I was probably a pussy anyway-” he broke off at the look on Rick’s face and he shrugged, “His words. So I went and when I found out I made the team, I went to Coach and told him, thank you for the opportunity, but my dad refused to buy the equipment I needed. He sat there and stared at me for a second, you know how he gets, all quiet and ya kinda don’t know if he’s about to rip you a new asshole or give you that nod he does when you done somethin’ right.” Rick chuckled and nodded and Daryl continued. “So anyway, he tells me he doesn’t give a shit about my old man, if I wanna play, he’ll make it happen, so I tell him, yeah I wanna play. So he writes something down on a form and hands it to me. Tells me to fill the rest of it out and bring it back to him. It was all that stupid shit they need to have for your file if you play a sport and at the bottom, he put his own name, number, and address for my emergency contact. Next day for practice there was a locker with my name on it, full of brand new equipment, everything I needed. So I asked him later if I could keep putting his name down for that shit and he said sure. I put his name down every year and every year, I come to the first practice and find new gear in my locker. He don’t say nothin’ bout it and neither do I, but he’s the reason I’ve been able to play all these years. Reason I met you,” he finished softly, eyes shiny with unshed tears.

It’s the longest story Rick thinks he’s ever heard Daryl tell and he has a fleeting thought that maybe the pain meds they’d doped him up with made him a little chatty. So Rick decided that right then was as good a time as any to ask the one question he promised himself he wouldn’t ask.

“Daryl….will you tell me what happened?”

“Guess I need to. Doesn’t mean I really wanna. But….I love you and if there’s anyone ‘M gonna talk about it with, it’ll be you.”

“I love you too, baby. And I’m here no matter what you need. If you don’t wanna talk about it tonight-”

“Might as well get it over with,” but he looked away from Rick and took a deep breath. “When you dropped me off, he wasn’t there. But neither was Merle, which ain’t that unusual ya know?”

Rick nodded. Whenever Merle was out of prison, he didn’t stay at the trailer much. He much preferred to keep participating in those activities that kept landing him in jail.

“So I decided to write Merle a…..letter. I know it sounds stupid, but I got it in my head that when we got back home, I’s just gonna ask your parents if I could stay until we graduated. I hated going back there. It just got harder and harder, you know? And you were right, that lie was just getting too big to keep tellin’ and I was tired of it too. So I put that in the letter to Merle. I knew he wouldn’t be all that happy about it, but I wanted him to know that I was happy. That I was going to college with you. That I was gonna spend the rest of my life with you. And I went to my room to pack everything up.” He sniffed and Rick saw tears rolling down his cheek. “I musta left the letter on the kitchen table, so stupid. I just waddn’t payin’ attention, you know?”

Rick put his hand on Daryl’s cheek, catching the tears with his palm. “It wasn’t stupid, baby. It wasn’t,” he insisted when Daryl turned to look at him with big eyes. He nodded and continued.

“He musta come back while I was in my room. But I never heard him. I was packing up and the next thing I know he’s in my face, holding that letter, screamin’ that he wasn’t raisin’ no fag, that I embarrassed the whole family. Like he didn’t already do that on his own,” Daryl snorted. “I was able to text you real quick before he grabbed my phone and threw it against the wall. Then he tried to punch me, but I blocked it, probably how that wrist fracture happened. Told him I wasn’t takin’ his shit no more and that musta really pissed him off and he went at me like he never has before. I tried to stop him but I couldn’t. I tried, Rick,” his breath was coming in ragged gasps now, “I tried so damn hard.”

Rick didn’t even hesitate. He pulled down the bars and climbed in the bed, being so careful to not hurt the love of his life any more than he already was. He pulled Daryl to his chest and let him cry. He rocked their bodies back and forth, soothing him as best he could. 

“I know, baby, I know. It’s all gonna be ok, now. I promise you.”

Daryl fell asleep that way, his head on Rick’s chest, the pain pills finally knocking him out. And Rick refused to move for the rest of the night.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
All in all, it could have been worse. When Daryl came home from the hospital the next day, Scott sat them both down in the living room and gave them the biggest tongue lashing of their lives for keeping Will Dixon’s abuse a secret. Words like “life threatening” and “damaging” were thrown around and Daryl took up for Rick as best as he could, cause Rick would have told Scott years ago if Daryl hadn’t made him promise. Which was probably why they both ended up grounded for the whole month of December. Rick was going to be grounded that long no matter what, but Daryl was only going to get two weeks, until he dug his own grave. At least that’s what Scott told him when handed the sentence down. 

So they spent all of Christman break with a curfew of eight o’clock, no PS3, no truck, unless they had to go to the school for some reason, and no hanging out with Shane and Glenn. Surprisingly, Scott and Elaine agreed that they could still share Rick’s room, on a few conditions: no more lies, no breaking curfew, and no irresponsible or loud sex. Elaine in particular was adamant about that last one but left the room a little red faced. And Rick and Daryl readily agreed to all of it. Since Daryl was ordered to take it easy for a while anyway, so that he could heal, it made their punishment a little more bearable.

Christmas was a somewhat quiet event. Rick’s grandparents came over and Scott and Elaine explained that Daryl was part of the family now. Scott’s father made a comment about the two boys spending too much time together and hoped “they don’t turn out gay.” Rick gripped his fork so hard, it was a little bent afterwards, but Daryl just nudged their knees together under the table, a silent reminder to just ignore it.

After Christmas, they were free and spent the Spring semester with Shane and Glenn as much as they could while also getting ready for graduation. The night they graduated from high school, Rick’s parents took a picture of the two of them together, arms slung over each other’s shoulders, holding their diplomas up, each of them smiling a mile wide. Elaine hung that picture up over the mantle and told anyone who would listen that she was so proud of both of her sons. 

When they started at Georgia Tech, Scott and Elaine bought an apartment for them just off of campus, right across from the football practice field. Rick and Daryl spent the next four years making waves in the ACC. By their Sophomore year, they were both starting and bowling over every team that stood across from them on the scrimmage line. By their junior year, Daryl was starting to be talked about whenever the Heisman award was mentioned and people started wondering if he had NFL aspirations. He never answered those questions outright if a sports reporter asked him, but to Rick he was honest.

“I know it would be a lot of money,” Daryl said to Rick one night, laying naked in their bed after an obscene amount of sex, “but I don’t think I’m gonna declare for the draft.”

Rick already knew he wasn’t NFL caliber and he was ok with that. He kissed Daryl’s chest. “Whatever you wanna do, baby. You know I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.”

“Even if that meant going back home?”

His tone of voice tipped Rick off and he raised his head to look Daryl in the eye. “What have you not told me?”

“You know I still talk to Dale every once in a while?”

“Yeah,” Rick answered slowly. 

“Well he called me last week. Mom told him a while back that I was getting my business degree and he called to tell me that, if I don’t wanna make a million dollars in the NFL, that he would make me his partner at the garage. He’d sell me half of the business and everything.”

“We don’t have that kind of money, though,” Rick replied, finding the one problem in the scenario.

“Oh yeah, he said he’d sell it to me for a buck.”

“No shit?” Rick couldn’t keep the shock out of his voice.

“No shit.” 

“And you sure that’s what you want to do?” Rick had to ask.

“I love the game, you know I do. But I came here to get my education and my body’s been broken enough. I’ll play the senior season, but that’ll be it. And I’ll work with Dale and then when Earl Sutton retires or croaks, which honestly could be any day now, you can teach those snotty teenagers history to your heart’s content.”

“We used to be snotty teenagers you know,” Rick chastised him and Daryl snorted.

“We were never that bad.” Daryl rolled his eyes and Rick started laughing at him, so Daryl kissed him to shut him up and the conversation was effectively ended after that.  
——————————————————-  
Their senior year of college, they only had one loss and it was to Clemson for the ACC Championship game, but thankfully, it didn’t hurt Daryl’s prospects for the Heisman. When Daryl Dixon was called as the winner in New York, the whole Grimes family was there in support as well as the Georgia Tech Head Coach, and Coach Ford, who was there at Daryl’s request.

His acceptance speech made Rick cry, as he wrapped it up by thanking Abraham Ford for making it possible for him to play football in the first place, to Scott and Elaine Grimes for being the best parents that he could have ever asked for, and to Rick for being his best friend, soulmate, and the very reason he was the man he turned into today. After the ceremony was over, and Rick excused himself to dry his eyes in the men’s room, Daryl confirmed that he was not declaring for the draft and they went home in peace to finish out their college careers.

The day they graduated college, Elaine was able to take a very different picture and that was of Rick dropping to one knee and pulling out a ring, only to have Daryl pull an identical one out of his pocket. The shocked look on both of their faces made for the perfect picture, and it sat right beside the one from their high school graduation. They moved home for a few weeks until they found a place of their own. Dale sold Daryl half of the garage, just like he promised he would, and they lived from paycheck to paycheck for a few months until Earl Sutton had a nervous breakdown, had to retire early, and Rick became his permanent replacement. 

They celebrated Rick’s new employment by having a small wedding on the Alexandria football field that fall. Coach Ford actually cried, just a little bit, and after the ceremony was over he asked Rick to be his offensive coordinator. 

Which was why, five years later, Daryl and Rick were to be found in the Coaches office of the Alexandria High School Football Team, watching as the new team trickled in for their first day of summer practice.

“What do you think?” Rick asked, fiddling with his new Head Coach name plate on the desk.

“I think we got our work cut out for us this year,” Daryl replied, staring out the office window with his arms crossed.

“I got something that’ll make it all worth it,” Rick told him and Daryl turned to see him holding out a white envelope addressed to Mr. and Mr. Grimes from the State of Georgia. 

Rick saw Daryl’s eyes light up. “Is that what I think it is?”

“You wanna open it and find out?” Daryl took it from him and ripped it open. Rick was pretty sure he knew what it was, but he still bit his lip, full of anxiety. After Daryl finished reading all three pieces of paper, he held them out to his husband, as though he needed confirmation that what he was reading was real. Rick took it and read them all quickly. “Why don’t you call him in here and we can tell him the good news?” Rick smiled cause Daryl was already moving. He opened the door of the office, stuck his head out and Rick heard him yell, “Carl! Get in here for a second!”

Carl was a skinny boy of fourteen, but he was starting to grow out of that, now that he was getting regular meals. He came running into the office, dark brown hair flying everywhere and Rick sat silently at the desk, holding the papers over it for the boy to take and trying his damnedest not to cry.

Carl took the paper and looked at it, then the other papers behind it, then the first paper over again, like he couldn’t believe it. It was just over a year ago that Carl Blake came for football tryouts, looking like he hadn’t had a decent meal in days. It didn’t take long for Daryl to notice the bruises and even less time to confront the boy about it. Just a few hours after one heart-wrenching conversation, Carl’s father, Philip, was in handcuffs for child abuse, and Carl and his one year old sister, Judith, were Rick and Daryl’s foster children. It was just lucky that they had registered as foster parents a few months prior. And after a year of lawyers and social workers, Carl was holding the paperwork that declared him and his sister Carl and Judith Grimes. He looked up from the papers and looked at Rick first and Rick saw the tears falling down the boy’s face. He smiled at his son so wide it hurt and felt his own tears start to fall. Then Carl turned to Daryl and a sob escaped his lips and he threw his arms around Daryl and clung to him so hard, it had to hurt. Daryl said nothing, just wrapped his arms around Carl and held him.

Rick sat there, watching his husband holding their son, and he thought about their daughter at home, being watched at the moment by Rick’s mom. He couldn’t even begin to count his blessings in that moment. Rick and Daryl had played the game of football for many years and he found that he never grew tired of it. It didn’t matter if he was playing or coaching, there was something about this game that felt like home. Maybe it was because it was how he found his husband; maybe it was because it was how he found his kids. Whatever the reason, Rick knew he’d never give it up. And although there had been many seasons in the past and there were still many more to come, Rick thought that in that moment, there was no better way to start getting ready for a season of football.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this; I started it and it just kinda ran away with me. I am thinking about writing a little companion piece where Daryl realizes what's going on with Carl and the conversation between Daryl and Carl where Carl tells him about his dad, from Daryl's POV, if anyone would be interested in reading that.


End file.
